Address—W.J. Prost
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It's very difficult, you know.
To know what to say to you, dear young people this afternoon.
I was thinking, you know of how many different ages there are represented here.
And I was thinking too how that as far back as I can remember, whenever I have been to general meetings such as this, there has been a young people's meeting.
And you know, I suppose that our beloved brethren of years gone by saw the need for a meeting that would address the young people.
You know, there's a true story told of an old senator back in Roman times who had a very strange dream.
And in that dream, he saw.
A group of soldiers walking along a street in Rome.
And in the forefront of those group of soldiers there were some old warriors, old men who had fought in years gone by. And as those old men walked along, they said, we have been brave.
All the old senator thought that's good, but that won't do, that won't do, for that won't keep Rome going.
And after him came, after those old men, I should say, came some men in.
Middle-aged time of life.
Man in their full prime of manhood and they said we are brave.
Well, he thought, that'll do for now. But what about the future?
And finally, bringing up the rear were a group of young men, and amongst them quite a number of boys.
And they said we will be brave.
All said the old senator to himself, Then I can rest, because the future of Rome is secure. Well, that's a homely story. They were Speaking of natural courage. But you know, as I look around today, I see you, dear young people. And if the Lord should leave us here for a few years yet? Not likely, and we hope not. But if he should, then it is upon your shoulders that responsibility will fall.
So I'd like to turn this afternoon.
To a passage in Second Chronicles, and we'll read first from Second Chronicles chapter 33, Second Chronicles 33, and just a few verses at the end of the chapter, Second Chronicles 33 and verse 20.
So Manasseh slept with his father's, and they buried him in his own house, and AM and his son reigned in his stead.
Ammon was 2 and 20 years old when he began to reign and reigned two years in Jerusalem.
But he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, as did Manasseh his father. For Ammon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them, and humbled not himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself. But Ammon trespassed more and more, and his servants conspired against him.
Flew him in his own house.
But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against King Ammon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son, king in his stead. Chapter 34. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and 30 years.
And here we find a situation, beloved young people, that to me seems to parallel our own day.
Here was a time of great declension in the nation of Israel, a time when things were at a very low ebb. Here we find that after a very godly reign by King Hezekiah, his son Manasseh, possibly the most wicked king that Judah ever had, had passed from the scene, and his son Ammon reigned in his stead.
And instead of learning from his father's evil ways.
We read here that this son Ammon, instead of humbling himself, had trespassed more and more.
And into this situation comes a young man, a young boy, we might say, by the name of Josiah.
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And you'll notice that he wasn't born into very favorable circumstances. He didn't come on at a time when things were going well. He came on at a time when things were going badly. He had a most wicked father and a most wicked grandfather who had set the stage for perhaps the worst iniquity that had yet been seen in the Kingdom of Judah.
And yet we find this young king called to the throne.
At the age of only eight years, Ammon was such a wicked king that we find that his father had been assassinated by his own servants. And of course, Josiah ascends the throne at the age of eight years.
Well, as I say, it is a day that parallels our own judgment had been pronounced on that nation of Israel, and God was about to carry it out.
But we'll see what happens to King Josiah.
Verse two of chapter 34.
And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left.
Oh, beloved young people, to me this is a wonderful encouragement. But here, out of the midst of all that evil, this young son of Ammon, it says he walked in the ways of David, his father. And it doesn't stop there, but it says he declined not either to the right hand or to the left.
What does that mean? Oh, I believe it simply means this, that to tread the Christian pathway.
We have to stay on the road and there's a danger of falling into the ditch on either side.
Now, we don't need to elaborate on what those ditches might be. We know what they are. We know how that people can go off the deep end in one side or on the other side, how that we can get carried away with something on one hand or carried away with something else on the other hand. Here we find one who declined neither to the right hand or to the left.
And how did he do that? Oh, I believe because it says here he walked in the ways.
Of David, his father, he looked to the Lord. And I'd like to speak a word now, particularly to the very young people here.
Because Josiah was only 8 years old when he began to reign.
And in the next verse, it takes him up in the eighth year of his reign when he was 16. So it doesn't say very much about what happened between the ages of eight and 16. But you know, those years were important. Those years were important. And I say to any year this afternoon who are between the ages of eight and 16 that those years are important.
I was just thinking, you know?
And it's been 21 years since I was first privileged to attend a meeting here at Wheaton.
And I was between the ages of eight and 16 at that time.
And you'll forgive me if I say so myself, but I could tell you today things that I heard at that meeting, things that I'm glad to have heard, because the brethren who said them are with the Lord now.
But I was glad to be here, and I know these meetings are long. Perhaps to some of you children, I know that perhaps you find it very hard to sit through them. But remember, these are years when you're laying a solid foundation. We don't read of King Josiah having too much to say during those years. And there's no question that during that time he was advised by older men in the Kingdom as to how to rule.
He didn't take an active part at that age, and rightfully so.
I believe that the Kingdom was probably in the hands of older men, but at the same time, those years weren't wasted. And all beloved young people, beloved children, make it the habit of your life, as Josiah did, to walk in the ways as it says here of David, his father. Make it the habit of your life to read your own Bible.
I'm sure that many of you here come from homes where the Word of God is read every day.
At the breakfast table, and maybe at the supper table as well, or in the evening. And that's well and good. And, you know, when I was young I used to think surely that ought to be enough. But oh, how good it is when we see children, as soon as they're old enough to read, take this precious book and read it.
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For themselves. And so I encourage each one of you children to read the word of God for yourself.
He'll soak it up better than you ever will again, I tell you that from experience.
You'll soak it up better than you ever will again. Go to the meetings with mom and dad.
You'll drink in things that you will perhaps never hear again.
You may not remember at all.
But it will be worthwhile.
The years of eight to 16 have sometimes been called the difficult ages, and they are difficult sometimes. We hardly know whether we're children or whether we're adults or how we're supposed to act. And some of us know a little bit how you feel because we went through it ourselves. And sometimes we're supposed to act like adults and sometimes we're supposed to act like children. At least it seems that way, doesn't it? But, you know.
If our eye is on the Lord, He'll enable us to go through those difficult years.
As he did Josiah. And even if the circumstances aren't too favorable, God will give the grace. Josiah no doubt had a difficult time of it because he didn't have a godly father to help him out like many of you do. He had to go it alone. And maybe you'll have to go some of it alone, but it will be well worth it.
Verse 3.
For in the eighth year of his reign.
While he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David, his father.
Oh, here we find him at the age of 16.
The age of 16.
This is when young people start to feel their own responsibility, start to feel that they should be able to look after themselves a little bit in this country. Most of us begin to drive a car at that age. Most of us be able to get around on our own. Most of us are able to do some things that perhaps weren't possible before, and we begin perhaps to think for ourselves. We begin to question everything that we've heard all our lives up until that point.
We begin to say now I'm ready to start looking on things.
The way I want to.
Well, that's natural, I suppose. And when it came Josiah's turn to do that, what does it say?
He began to seek after the God of David, his father. Oh, how wonderful that is. How wonderful that when it came time for him, you might say, to assert his place as king over the realm, that this was the one he looked to. Oh, what a bright spot in the history of Israel. What a bright spot in this otherwise sad history of declension, to see this young man standing out.
And you know, I tell you, beloved young people, once more.
But if you want to take a stand for the Lord today, you may have to stick out.
You may have to stick out a little bit, and sad to say, you may have to stick out even amongst those who are your fellow Christians.
Yes, you may have to. And I have no doubt that it wasn't easy for Josiah in a day of weakness, with the idolatry that had been set up all around him and people going on with it, it was no doubt very difficult for him to have to stay on the ground of David, his father. But he did so. And so I encourage you, dear young people, those of you that are in your teens now, those of you that are starting to think.
Ourselves, those of you that are starting to say, what shall I do in life? What kind of a position shall I try to obtain? Shall I go to college? Shall I go out and get a job? Oh, let me tell you, the word of God can give you guidance. You know, sometimes we say, how can we know the Lord's mind?
Oh, it says in the Psalms, the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, then that fear Him. One thing, if I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after.
And what was that? Oh, it was to behold the beauty of the Lord.
And only then to inquire in his temple. Oh, I was so glad to see so many young people here this morning to enjoy that precious remembrance of the Lord.
And now, when it comes to go out into the world again, be assured that God has a pathway for you. God has a will for you, and there is not one single thing in your pathway and mine, but that which our Father has a positive will for, if only we look to Him.
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But we must be willing to follow him. Verse 3, continuing on and in the 12Th year, now he's 20. And in the 12Th year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places and the Groves and the carved images and the molten images.
And they breakdown the altars of Balaam in his presence, and the images that were on high above them he cut down. And the Groves and the carved images, and the molten images he break in pieces, and made dust of them, and strode it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto NAFTA, lie with their Maddox roundabout.
And when he had broken down the altars and the Groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
Here he is 20 years old.
20 is an age, I suppose, when we begin to step out on our own.
You will recall that in the Old Testament the priests were to serve from the ages of 30 to 50, or rather the Levites, but then later on David lowered the age to 25 and eventually even lowered it to 20.
And so it was possible for a Levite to begin to serve at the age of 20. And here we find King Josiah, that age, that age when young people begin to strike out on their own, perhaps you leave home because you're going off somewhere to school. Perhaps even at that age, you start to set up a home on your own. I don't know. But it may be that at that age, you step out from the family home, perhaps, and start to go on for yourself.
What does Josiah do?
Oh, first of all, he says. I've got to get rid of all those images and all this idolatry that is all around me.
Up until that point, no doubt it had grieved his righteous soul to see it all. But now he's prepared to take an active part. And he says, I'm not going to have that kind of thing in the land anymore.
And he starts to tear down. I have often questioned in my own mind as to how and why the people of God in the Old Testament would serve idols so much. I couldn't understand it. Why did they turn aside to idols so often? What ridiculous nonsense it seems to us.
But all if we come to the New Testament, we find out that idols.
Such as we might think of in the Old Testament images and so on do not exist, but yet we're still told to keep ourselves from idols.
And I suggest to you young people and to my own soul that an idol is anything that comes between myself and the Lord. And how easy it is when we get to strike out on our own, when all the world looks good before us, when there are lots of prospects to do well, when we can start, you might say, to acquire things for ourselves, ourselves. How easy it is to become dazzled by idols.
What can an idol be? Just about anything.
Clothes, homes, cars, material things.
Even loved ones, a job, position, prestige, money, you name it, the devil will give it to you whatever you need. As dear Mr. Wigger once said, the devil knows each of us through and through. And he says to himself, this man needs a little money to rob him of the enjoyment of Christ. Well, that's no problem. I can give him a little money because the devil can easily give you the things of this world. And this man, he needs a little prestige.
Him of the enjoyment of Christ, that's fine, I can give him that if he falls for it. And this man, he wants to be wrapped up in his family, in his home, and we can easily manage that. And so an idol can even be those things which naturally are all right in themselves, but which rob us of our enjoyment of Christ.
Here, King Josiah, he dealt with an unsparing hand. You might think that he didn't need to go that far.
Why did he need to burn the bones of the priests on the altars, you say? Why did he need to be so ruthless? After all, he could simply have broken down the images and all those high places and gotten rid of them. But why go so far as to take and burn the bones of the priests on the altars? Oh, I believe that he had the mind of God. And as God's mind and God's heart utterly abhorred those idols, so Josiah said, I'm going to show them beyond any shadow of a doubt.
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That I don't want those things to rise up again, you know, in the history of the children of Israel when they were conquering the land of Canaan.
They didn't drive all of the inhabitants out completely. Some of them they were content to put them in a place of subjection.
Instead of driving them out completely And what happened?
Later on, those nations rose up to trouble them. And I say to you that if you and I.
Are not willing to deal unsparingly with those idols that present ourselves in our lives. They'll rise up to trouble us later on. Oh yes they will. King Josiah dealt with an unsparing hand and it was clear to everyone who saw him that he really meant what he said. And we don't read of those idols being set up again in his time. Well, let's go on to the eighth verse.
Now in the 18th year.
Of his reign now he's 26.
When he had purged the land.
And the house he sent Chaffin, the son of Azalea.
And Maya Sia, the governor of the city, and Joe are the son of Joa, has the recorder to repair the House of the Lord his God.
Oh, the age of 26. Perhaps we're embarking and perhaps a bit established in the life of our own. Perhaps the money has started to come in. Perhaps we have gotten secure in the job that we wanted. Perhaps we have a family and we have a home set up. And now the question comes, what do we do?
This is a young people's meeting, I realized. But I like to think that those of us that might fall into this group of 26 and over could still consider ourselves young people for this time.
And what we're going to say applies to all of us, whether young or old.
But here we find that when he had purged the land, that came first, remember, that came first. Then he sets himself to repair the House of the Lord. All things were pretty bad. The House of God had no doubt fallen into disrepair. And here Josiah is going to repair that house. And I suppose that that would speak to us of turning ourselves toward the assembly.
The assembly. Now I don't mean to suggest that the Assembly of God needs repairing in the sense that the House of the Lord.
Needed it. But I tell you, beloved young people, and especially you young brothers.
That what we need today is young people who will take leadership and responsibility in the assembly. We need those who are willing to step forward and assume responsibility in the assembly. Not that God needs any of us, you know, but if there is to be a responsibility exercised, if there is to be a going on for the Lord, we need young people who are willing to step forward, not in the energy of the.
Not in the sense of, well, it has to be kept going and so I'm going to stand in the breach, but rather having the eye on Christ and seeking to go on for him. And so here he comes to repair the House of the Lord. Now I ask you, beloved young people again, where are your energies directed?
You know, life has become very complicated today. We've said it before, but it bears repeating.
And it is possible for us to get so wrapped up in our own lives and in the business of earning a living, in the business of establishing a home, in the business of everyday life, that there just doesn't seem to be time left for the things of God. I feel it so much in my own soul.
And as someone has remarked, the most subtle things that rob us of Christ are things which stem from necessary duties, from the duties of everyday life, because it is only right and proper that we should attend to those necessary duties. But when we allow them to become so complicated that they shove the things of the Lord to the sidelines, oh, then we need to do something about it. We need to do something about it. We need to set our.
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Priorities.
And so here, Josiah, he had his priorities and he says I want to repair that house.
Of the Lord.
What else did he do?
Going on to verse 14.
And when they brought out the money that was brought into the House of the Lord.
Hilkiah the priest found a book of the Law of the Lord.
Given by Moses.
Verse 19.
And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.
And the king commanded Hilkiah, and a Hikm the son of Shifan, and Abdul the son of Micah, and Schaeffer the scribe, and Asia a servant of the kings, saying, Go inquire of the Lord for me, and for them that are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord to do, after all that is written in.
Book.
All he found the word of the Lord.
That had been lost for many centuries, perhaps, I don't know.
But he found it. And when that godly king heard those words read before him, he was so overcome.
When he saw how far short they had fallen, that it says he rent his clothes.
Oh, I speak reverently. Word to God that there were more of us. I speak to my own heart. Who would rend our clothes morally.
When we see how far we have come, God has seen fit in the last 150 years.
To bring back to us the truth of the church that was lost for centuries, that truth which was searched out by our brethren of a past generation at great cost to themselves. And that truth which we might say has been put into our laps with very little effort on our own. I can remember our love, our beloved late brother George Jones saying to us, he said, you know, we have the truth given to us just like baby food. All we have to do is open.
Promote and swallow it, O beloved brethren, beloved young people. That's true. And here Josiah found that book, and so overcome was he that he reads the book, and the first thing he says, Go and inquire of the Lord.
Oh, the first step towards recovery and restoration was a humbling of themselves. Josiah wanted to follow the Lord. And as I look around you, dear young people this afternoon, I know that you want to follow the Lord. To put it very bluntly, if you have a new life, if you have accepted Christ as your Savior.
You can't help but want to follow the Lord because you have a life that loves to please Him.
But all in the day of ruin, in a day of declension, the first step towards blessing was a realization of how far they had fallen. And I suggest to you, my beloved young people, and to myself and to my dear brethren, but if there's to be any blessing amongst us in these last and closing days of the Church's history, it will have to be through.
Utter humiliation before God concerning how far we have fallen.
Not that we should be occupied with that. I don't mean that in any way, but only to realize.
Our weakness. If we pretend to be that which we are not, then God has to occupy us with failure in order to make us realize where we are. You know, in those churches addressed in Revelation chapter 3, we read of that bright light in Philadelphia, and then we read of the moral darkness of Laodicea. But sad to say.
Laodicea's attitude was I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.
But the Lord had to say, You don't know that you're wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.
Oh yes, Josiah and those with him, with right desires and right motives.
Had to own their low state before God, but then what happens?
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Notice in.
Verse 27.
We don't have time to read all of this, so we'll skip over some of it, but here's what hold of the prophetess had to say to Hazard or two. Josiah by the word of the Lord.
Verse 27 Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God.
When thou heardest his words against this place and against the inhabitants thereof, and humblest thyself before me, and did strand thy clothes and weep before me, I have even heard thee also, saith the Lord, and notice the encouragement that he gets. Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace.
Neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place.
And upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again.
Oh, when he humbled himself before God, he got an encouragement. An encouragement, you might say, that was greater than any king before him had ever had. He was told that because his heart was tender, he wouldn't see the evil that would come upon that city and upon that nation. And all beloved young people, you and I have an encouragement.
Too.
We were reminded of it this morning. My brother read that verse.
Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
And when he read that verse, I connected it with that verse in the 17th of John. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory. You, beloved young people, beloved brethren, have a hope that this world knows nothing of, and, sad to say, even many in Christendom know nothing of.
There are dear Christians in Christendom whose hearts are failing them for fear.
Thinking for sure that the Church must go through the tribulation, thinking about all the awful things that are likely to come upon us. Looking around at the economic situation in this world and wondering where do we go next and how do we manage things?
Oh, God's Word gives us that encouragement in the address to Philadelphia. Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the earth.
All beloved young people, don't worry about this world. We're going to be snatched away.
Long before the judgment falls. And notice that God gave that word of encouragement to one who was faithful and who had humbled himself.
Every Christian will be caught up when the shout is heard and when the Lord Jesus Christ comes for his own. But some, some will be living in the good of it and will be waiting and watching. Will you be among that number, or are you going to be like some of those?
That our brother in a long past generation once said Brother Heaney, I believe, if I have it right, although of course I don't remember him, said that most of Christendom will be saved.
As it says in the word of God, yet so as by fire just pulled out of the debris.
Before the judgment falls, well, not that we would in any way take a position as being above that, but by the grace of God may we be found not only waiting, but watching. Turn over now to the next chapter, verse or chapter 35. Moreover, Josiah kept the Passover unto the Lord in Jerusalem.
Verse 17 And the children of Israel that were present kept the Passover at that time.
And the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days.
Now notice this verse especially.
And there was number Passover like to that captain Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet.
Neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Oh, to me this is very precious.
Josiah wanted to keep the Passover.
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I have no doubt that that Passover had been kept in a cursory sort of way.
Perhaps not for some time. We aren't told.
But there was something that characterized that Passover in Josiah's day amid much weakness.
And amid much that perhaps the eye of God.
Could not rest upon.
With joy, as it once had.
Things were in ruin.
There was a giving up.
We know from the book of Jeremiah that the state of the people hadn't really changed all that much.
But yet God's eye looked down on that Passover, and God's eyes said there was number such Passover kept from the days of Samuel the prophet.
Oh, could it be? Could it be that God's eye would pass back over history?
Over the glories of the Kingdom, over the time of David and Solomon, when everything was going on well.
Over other revivals, perhaps in the time of Hezekiah, and in the time of ASA and various others, could it be the eye of God would pass back over all that, and say there was no such Passover kept since the days of Samuel the prophet?
That's what it says.
Beloved young people, as we sat down and remembered the Lord this morning.
I thought of this scripture.
Thought of how God valued that poor feeble people in a day when the judgment was about to fall. None of the glories of Solomon were there.
None of the outward manifestation of power that had existed in the time of David, and yet there was that which was precious.
To the eye of the Lord and to the heart of God.
And whole beloved young people, I tell you.
The numbers are not what counts.
Numbers are not what counts.
No.
Whether our hearts are true to Christ, and once again referring to the address to Philadelphia, God could say.
Thou hast a little strength, and has kept my word, and has not denied my name. Do you come from a little assembly? Do you come where there isn't? From a place where there isn't much fellowship? Do you come from a place where there aren't very many other young people with whom to associate?
All the great things to get our eye on the Lord in the midst.
I trust I may be forgiven for this remark, and I know my dear brethren to whom I refer will forgive me.
But I have had occasion.
A few times.
To visit in parts of the earth where there were not the large numbers that we have here.
And where it would be impossible for them to even muster this large a number if everyone.
Within the area were there and yet there has been a reality at some of those meetings that lifted my soul up so much.
Then I came home with a heart overflowing with joy when I saw how much they value the fact that they were gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Until you, dear young people, I say that if the Lord Jesus Christ leaves us here for a little while longer.
We don't know His coming we feel is just around the corner, but if He leaves us here a little while longer, May God give you the grace and the desire in your heart.
To remember the Lord in his death. To have the heart to be there.
Because he is there. How blessed that is.
What an approbation for God to give in His Word. I don't think Josiah realized that God was going to put this down in His Word like this. But God valued that Passover and He has recorded it for us. And beloved brother and sister in Christ, God has recorded it this morning that you were present at the remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is dear to the heart of God.
And when he sees you present at the remembrance of himself.
He records it and I believe there'll be a reward in a coming day for those.
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Who have valued the place where He is in the midst?
Verse 19.
In the 18th year of the reign of Josiah was this Passover kept?
I wish we could stop there. I wish we could just close the chapter at that point.
And close the meeting.
But the word of God is faithful.
The Word of God doesn't write an autobiography.
Because it isn't an autobiography. As our brother remarked last night, an autobiography includes all the nice things.
And leaves out the failure, but when God writes the record, God in faithfulness.
Gives us everything and this 20th verse to me is one of the saddest verses in the word of God.
After all this.
After all this beloved young people, after all this, it told us that in the 18th year of Josiah's reign.
That's when he was 26. Was this Passover cap?
We read in the first verse or two that he reigned 31 years and if you add the age of 8.
Or the number of eight to that figure we find out that he was 39 when he died, and the account given here in the last part of the chapter is the account of the close of his life.
What happened to those 13 years?
What happened to them all? They're passed over in.
They're passed over in silence, just as the last 40 years of Isaac's life is passed over in silence, and just as various others in the Word of God, sad to say, have parts of their lives passed over in silence.
It doesn't tell us very much.
But things were going into declension.
Notice what happened verse 20 after all this when Josiah had prepared the temple.
Nico, King of Egypt, came up to fight against Car Chemist by Euphrates.
And Josiah went out against him.
But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, What have I to do with thee, Thou King of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have made I have war. For God commanded me to make haste for bear thee from meddling with God, who was with me, that He destroyed thee not.
Nevertheless, Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself that he might fight with him, and hearkened not under the words of Nico from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
And the Archer shot at King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, Have me away, for I am sore wounded. His servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died.
And was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers.
And all Judah and Jerusalem.
Mourn for Josiah.
As I say, I'd rather have left out this part of the history. The Word of God records it for us.
A sad ending.
To one of the brightest rains in Israel's history.
No doubt Josiah got to thinking that he was doing pretty well.
He no doubt got to thinking that here he'd arrived on the scene.
He'd purged Israel of all those idols in high places. He kept the Passover, he'd restored the Temple, he'd brought out the Book of the Law. He'd had a word of encouragement from the Lord through the prophetess. And I only suggest.
That perhaps, perhaps Josiah thought, maybe, maybe I can restore some of the Gloria to the Kingdom that existed in the time of David and Solomon. David was a warrior king. David was one who never lost a battle that is recorded in the Word of God.
And maybe he thought I should be able to go out and defeat other kings and make Israel's name great in the earth so that we'll have some of the power and prestige that we had in the days of David and Solomon.
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But it wasn't the day for that.
And sad to say, sometimes we, and I include myself in this number. We as young people tend to feel that there should be more power amongst us.
That we should have some of the power that was displayed in the days of the early church and at the days of Pentecost.
That there should be that kind of power exhibited when 3000 souls were saved in one day, when there were miracles performed, when it says great grace was upon them all and everything was in its pristine state.
We can get to thinking that way.
Loved young people, If we get that thought, I suggest that it's not according to the mind of God. Josiah's was a day of declension. It was a day of remnant testimony. And his was to be faithful to the Word of God, but not to try and restore that which had gone before. And I believe it's a mistake for you and I to expect to have the power of Pentecost or to look for things to happen that perhaps we saw happen.
In past generations, no read on the one hand, that David, it says, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep. And then in the book of Ecclesiastes it tells us what is It says, Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? For thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this matter.
And so I believe it is a mistake. And we see here that Josiah was found meddling with God.
You might say, how could God take a king like a king of Egypt, a king who was, you might say, an ungodly king, possibly, I don't know, but certainly not of the nation of Israel. And how could God give him a Commission to go out and fight against?
Car Kemish by Euphrates. I say I don't know, but God is sovereign, and if you and I see around us and Christendom today those perhaps whom God is called to do certain things.
I suggest to you that our place is not to meddle with them. Not to meddle with them.
Because we may be found meddling with God.
God may have given them something that's not for us to worry about. Our part is to be.
Faithful to the truth that God has revealed to us if God has revealed truth to you and to me, then it is our responsibility to walk in it, never mind what God may be doing with others outside of our.
Sphere, leave that with the Lord, but let us be faithful to what God has given us. But poor Josiah didn't listen. He didn't listen and he went out to war anyway.
And it says and he died and he died. It takes me back a few years ago.
To a meeting such as this.
Some here will remember the occasion.
When a beloved brother stood up in an open meeting and spoke with much feeling.
About David's lament over Jonathan.
And how he could lament for that beloved friend of his.
Who had died on the battlefield? And he went on to remark about how many dear Christians there were today who were dead on the battlefield.
You won't die like Josiah did if you don't go on for the Lord, but you may be dead on the battlefield.
I look around this room and I see many faces that I know and many faces that I don't know.
But the fact remains that there are faces that I wish I did see, that I don't see, faces that once used to sit in those seats, but are there no longer? Why?
All because.
Because they died.
Morally and spiritually on the battlefield.
They missed the path, sad to say.
Without himself, Will went out on their own.
And they're no longer found.
Where the Lord would have them. How sad.
And notice what it says here. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourn for Josiah.
Some time ago I was talking to a brother older than myself.
And we were talking about someone that we both knew.
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A young person who had gone out into the world and left the meeting.
And he said, you know, he said, you brethren, when something like that happens.
All you do is read the Motor Fellowship and then you forget about them.
And I put down the telephone after that conversation and I said to myself, I hope not, I hope not, I hope not.
Beloved young people, be assured that in our measure and in our weakness and failure.
If you leave.
And go off in a pathway not pleasing to the Lord. Your brethren mourn for you.
Notice in verse 25 it says in Jeremiah lamented for Josiah that godly weeping prophet.
Who no doubt could look upon that young man with all the joy and happiness that an older Christian sees or has when he sees a younger one going on brightly for the Lord? And then to have him fall like this and be taken away, you might say in his prime, How sad.
Beloved young people, if you don't walk in a pathway pleasing to the Lord, your older brethren mourn for you.
Turn over to the Epistle the 2nd Epistle of John for a verse there there.
Dear old brother, now with the Lord, gave me this verse once.
Which I have treasured ever since.
2nd Epistle of John.
In verse eight, Second Epistle of John and verse 8.
Look to yourselves.
Now notice the language here that we that we lose, not those things which we have wrought.
But that we receive a full reward.
Oh, he doesn't talk to them about losing their own reward.
He says.
Will you lose our reward too if you don't go on well?
Oh yes, because those over whom he had labored, those whom he had tried to encourage, to go on for the Lord.
Were the fruit of his labor and he would get a reward in a coming day, but oh, he wouldn't get the same reward.
They didn't go on well.
Neither would they.
Now Josiah will get a reward. He'll get a reward for those 26 years of faithfulness.
We don't lose.
Our reward for what we have done in the past because we fail in the future.
But we may not get a full reward. Verse 25.
And all the singing men and the singing women speak of Josiah in their lamentations to this day.
And made them an ordinance in Israel. And behold, they are written.
In the Lamentations.
How sad.
But I don't like to end on that note, beloved young people, because as I look around, I feel encouraged as I see so many of you with the desire to be at these meetings. I feel encouraged when I see so many here from all ages, ranging right from the smallest through those difficult ages of eight to 16, through those ages from 16 to 20, through those ages from 20 to 26.
And then some of us that have gotten past that a little.
But all my prayer for each one of you is that you may be found going on, not falling by the wayside, but making those decisions before God and in the light of His precious Word that will keep you in the pathway of faith and with the eye on our Lord Jesus Christ till He come.
I see our time is up, but perhaps we might have time to sing.
Just the last two verses of number one 68168.
Verses four and five, O pardon us, Lord.
That are loved to thy name is so faint.
Worth so much our affections to move #168 verses 4:00 and 5:00.